Malarkey

Such a nice, film-worthy premise, and the Czech television botches it up so much. Not only the screenplay is boring, but the whole thing looks horribly cheap. Too bad. The cast wouldn’t be that bad, but from the music alone you’d know that it’s exactly like classic TV films from the 1990s. I personally think that the age of such flicks has long passed.

To shoot a story about a deaf-mute and at the same time blind heroine is quite a feat, which requires certain personal beliefs. Moreover, when someone manages to turn his story into a real film, it deserves recognition and respect. Marie’s Story is a great film. A beautiful story full of humanity and life adversities, which proves that it is possible to accept and live with even the worst obstacles.

If you want to make something remarkable in the romantic film genre, you have no other option but to be original. And Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess have done a great job here. A cute, original, improbable but very inventive story with a number of beautiful scenes.

Scandinavian cinematography is good in general, but the Norwegians are its weakest link, as was proven by this series. The premise looks familiar, a safe bet on the creators’ part, so you don’t think it might be a failure. Plus the series take place in Norwegian fjords, so it contains great shots of Norwegian nature, which will never get old. However, when Aksel comes to his hometown, it launches a relationship drama that’s not only boring but also looks like a soap opera. Eight episodes are completely bland, while the first and the last one at least contain some ideas. Too bad. One of the worst Scandinavian series I’ve seen so far.

I think that Sam Mendes was aiming for the Oscar here, I don’t know why there aren’t more films about the First World War, but it’s probably because most of the time the soldiers were battling boredom in the trenches rather thanfighting for territory on the ground. Sam Mendes, however, went a bit too far here, replacing filmmaking with an attempt at absolute realism. The illusion that everything is a single long shot makes the scenes look remarkably surreal. It all starts with the crash of a German plane into a dilapidated barn, continues with ruins of the town illuminated by flares and ends directly in the trenches, a few seconds before running into the turmoil ofbattle. I was bating my breath, fascinated by the fabricated scenes, and enjoyed one of the best war films made in the last few years. The trio of good old British actors (Firth, Cumberbatch, Strong) is the icing on the cake, which will draw you into the depicted events of the war and remind you that it is “only” a film.

I admit that I have somehow missed the news about the terrorist attack on an Indian historical hotel. After watching this film, however, I’m aware of it and I won’t ever forget it. A genius reconstruction of a terrorist attack, which is ruled by precision, excellent acting performances, technical sophistication, but also often illogical behavior of the characters born out of the stressful situation, which in addition, provides another straw that will break the back of Islam. I am undecided about this, but during this film, I had to think about what is better – to believe in a religion in whose name its followers cause an endless amount of pain every year or to give it up, to take away its influence from the world and become an atheist?

Ruben Östlund is probably the most interesting director and screenwriter of contemporary Scandinavia. Twice I rated his films with the full five stars, for his impersonal but brilliantly told stories. Here, however, I will be a bit critical – but really just a bit. The Square has a rather complex premise, and you have to think hard to understand what its creator is getting at. It features a number of inventive and original scenes, but its unnecessary long running time is to its disadvantage. The fact that the metaphorical square is supposed to be the contemporary Europe is still boggling my mind. In my opinion a rather interesting insight into the high Scandinavian society of today.

A standard family drama from Scandinavia, which is made special by great music. Especially the ending was so good that I watched it several times in a row. I had no idea that Mikael Persbrandt could sing so well. So if you want to be captivated by a sad family story, while at the same time knowing that the Scandinavians are experts in conveying such topics, do not hesitate. You‘ll get it with a bonus.

Actually, nothing much different from previous years. Again, never-ending boredom, never-ending number of commercials, and for the second time in a row without a host, which they probably found out to work surprisingly well. In addition, with a series of musical performances, where I was most surprised by Eminem, who returned to the stage after 17 years to finally sing his best film song of the time and lift half the audience from their seats. Interesting and probably the biggest surprise of the evening. The second of the performances was by Elton John, who was visibly moved, but he also really enjoyed it. And the third was by Billie Eilish, who sang Yesterday from the Beatles for the In Memoriam contribution. That is always emotional and this year was no different. And in terms of nominations, the biggest surprise was – of course – the winning film Parasite, which for the first time proved that a non-English-speaking film can win the highest award, which in my opinion presents a victory not just for the film itself, but for the whole contemporary South Korean cinematography, which has been at a high level for quite some time. I wished the best score award to Hildur Guðnadóttir for her Joker OST, and my wish came true. Her contribution was the most feminist one, but I liked it. And as for actors, there were no doubts about who the winners will be, as evidenced by the betting odds. Brad Pitt looked really touched, I was happy for him. Laura Dern accepted her – well-deserved – award with grace. Renée Zellweger looked like it was Bridget Jones who came to accept her award; it was almost a pity that she didn’t stumble on her way to the stage. And Joaquin Phoenix? Delivered the best speech of the evening. An emotional, personal confession of our times, a request not to eat meat and an apology for how he used to behave. A great actor who finally showed some humility – nothing more needs to be said. I think that this year's Oscars, although they might seem unremarkable, had their moments. They seemed alright to me.

I’m not surprised by all the Oscar nominations. Because of its age, this film seems a bit old-school, like something from a bygone era, but it has a kind spirit that entertains effortlessly and doesn’t offend anyone in any way, which we are used to from today‘s comedies. It treats a classic, totally overused topic, but it’s conveyed in a cute, fun way. You can feel a bit of the drug-induced cheer of that era’s Hollywood, but it’s all very good-natured and inoffensive.